Ukraine's defence chief resigns, leaves legacy in digital and drone development

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has confirmed his resignation, outlining unfinished reforms and institutional challenges during his tenure in a public statement.

In a message posted on Telegram, Fedorov acknowledged key areas where progress fell short, including efforts to overhaul the Defence Ministry’s structure. “What was not achieved: 1. To complete the organisational transformation of the Ministry of Defence in accordance with NATO standards and common sense. The new structure was launched, many were dismissed, and many processes were started. But it was necessary to dismiss even more decisively those who slowed down changes,” he said.

He added that not all procurement processes had been shifted to competitive tenders and that it had not been possible to “build a culture of responsibility for decisions taken.”

Fedorov was appointed defence minister on January 14, having previously served as first deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the time that Fedorov was “deeply involved in the issue of the drone front.” Having joined the government in 2019 at the age of 28, he became Ukraine’s youngest minister.

According to sources cited by the Financial Times, Fedorov clashed with interests seeking to profit from the defence budget and repeatedly blocked attempts to channel major contracts to specific organisations aligned with influential figures in Ukraine’s political and military establishment.

Ukrainian media report that Zelenskyy intends to nominate Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as his successor. Klymenko led the National Police from 2019 to 2023 and was appointed interior minister following the death of Denys Monastyrskyi. Parliament is widely expected to approve his candidacy.

Before his appointment as defence minister, Fedorov served from 2019 to January 2026 as vice prime minister and minister of digital transformation. He is widely credited with advancing the “state in a smartphone” initiative aimed at reducing bureaucracy, notably through the launch of the Diia mobile application in 2020, which enabled citizens to access a wide range of government services digitally.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, his ministry played a significant role in drone development and production, as well as in advancing education reforms. Fedorov also helped initiate a joint programme between the digital transformation and defence ministries focused on military technology development.

He later spearheaded a campaign to turn Crimea into an “island,” involving strikes targeting Russian logistics and military infrastructure in annexed Crimea and occupied areas of southern Ukraine.

Fedorov is regarded as a prominent and respected figure within Ukrainian civil society. News of his resignation has prompted widespread public reaction and criticism of President Zelenskyy.

By Tamilla Hasanova